Stefan Petrucha (born January 27, 1959) is an American writer for adults and young adults. He has written graphic novels in the The X-Files and Nancy Drew series, as well as science fiction and horror.Born in the Bronx, he has spent time in the big city and the suburbs, and now lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, fellow writer Sarah Kinney, and their daughters. At times he has been a tech writer, an educational writer, a public relations writer and an editor for trade journals, but his preference is for fiction in all its forms.

Stefan PetruchaI'd love to, but sorry, none will be out by June 20th. :( My agent is shopping a new YA novel, and I'm working on a Captain America novel for Marvel…moreI'd love to, but sorry, none will be out by June 20th. :( My agent is shopping a new YA novel, and I'm working on a Captain America novel for Marvel comics, but that won't be out until next year.

Stefan PetruchaA lot of writers will say, write what you like. My feeling is that you should develop great taste (read, read, read) THEN write what you like. Past…moreA lot of writers will say, write what you like. My feeling is that you should develop great taste (read, read, read) THEN write what you like. Past that, if you feel you need improvement, it likely means you have an image in your head of something better. Try to make what you've written look more like that! Plus, Story, by Robert McKee isn't bad.As a personal plug, I have a video class on writing queries up at Udemy:https://www.udemy.com/writing-for-a-l...(less)

Learn how to make a living at writing AND earn undergrad credit! That’s right, it’s Preview Week for Writing for a Living, a practical look at the seamy business side of a writing career, taught online via UMASS. Free syllabus, sample reading and video lecture available. Registration is still open. Final online summer class start Read More…

Stefan’s Recent Updates

"I blurbed this one! Here's what I wrote: "AFTER PIE is a rollicking, freewheeling, hilarious, and suspenseful adventure that ranks up there with Stefan Petrucha's best work. What a trip! I guarantee you won't forget Shelley and Beep anytime soon!"..."
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Disclaimer: I LOVE CAPTAIN AMERICA! The one from Marvel Cineverse more than any. Which is where most of my Cap knowledge comes from. I do not have a clue as to whether Dark Designs is from the graphic novels...I will sa..."
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As usual, I’m a bit late to the party, but I don’t read as much as I’d like, and I’m seldom impressed enough to write about it.

That said, A Head Full of Ghosts is wonderful, echoing in feel and structure, my two favorite horror tomes, Shirley JacksonAs usual, I’m a bit late to the party, but I don’t read as much as I’d like, and I’m seldom impressed enough to write about it.

That said, A Head Full of Ghosts is wonderful, echoing in feel and structure, my two favorite horror tomes, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist. The fact that its focus and surprises share quite a bit with the former title doesn’t detract from it in the least. It is modern, dynamic, smart about its sources, full of references that give the proceedings real weight – and utterly unique as a result.

The star of the show – the relationship between the two sisters - is particularly terrific, conveying a canny sense of both the warmth and the terror that emotional intimacy can bring. It also shares what is for me a key factor in the very best ghost stories – whether the events are supernatural or not doesn’t matter, the results remain the same.

To be clear, I adore Jon Ronson’s writing and will continue to read his books, but So You've Been Publicly Shamed was a big disappointment. It’s especially so given the brilliance of The Psychopath Test, which deconstructed and ultimately reconstructTo be clear, I adore Jon Ronson’s writing and will continue to read his books, but So You've Been Publicly Shamed was a big disappointment. It’s especially so given the brilliance of The Psychopath Test, which deconstructed and ultimately reconstructed concepts of mental illness, much in the same way The Unforgiven did for Westerns or Galaxy Quest did for Star Trek. There, it felt as if he’d grown beyond a mere collection of essays into something more complex and coherent. Then again, maybe I read too much into it.

Here, our dear author, previously an expert at subtly engendering sympathy for everyone from psychopaths to conspiracy theorists, goes out of his way to trope those experiencing Twitter Shame as “destroyed” (not so) and “undeserving” (arguable) – mostly because they lost their jobs. Where are the stories about the real damage, like doxxing and swatting?

Instead, as per a passage he removed from the book, Ronson “…can’t think of many worse things than getting fired.”

Really? Granted, neurosis is part of his character and part of the fun, but here, instead of illuminating, as it has been in the past, it serves only to obscure. As a result, I’m less focused on the issue of shaming as I am on the question of why Ronson takes pains to defend the folks he happens to be able to land interviews with – and by and large I don’t find them very sympathetic.

Justine Sacco tweeted an insensitive joke about race and AIDS. Those who knew her apparently would've known she was being ironic. But this wasn't some high school student – this was a PR exec, a senior director of corporate communications, someone who, as a matter of competence, should understand that tweeting occurs in a public, not a private, space. Her being fired hardly seems like “destruction” or even terribly inappropriate.

Jonah Lehrer was a science writer who, among other things, fabricated Bob Dylan quotes. Ronson argues the changes were a word or two, but fails to point out the quotes were altered to buttress Lehrer’s arguments. Lehrer’s lame apology aside, if a non-fiction author loses his non-fiction audience based on fabricated facts – it seems, like Sacco, more an incompetence issue.

Then there’s Lindsey Stone, who posted a picture of herself flipping the bird at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. She’s no PR pro or author, but no matter how you slice it, giving the finger to a tomb is an offensive thing to do. Her apology read in part, “OBVIOUSLY we meant NO disrespect to people that serve…” was nonsense. OBVIOUSLY, she is being disrespectful – that’s the whole point of flipping the bird. You can’t flip the bird without being disrespectful. If you’re flipping the bird at a tomb, that’s who you’re disrespecting.

When her post went viral, she was ultimately fired from her job at a nonprofit. Ronson’s love of career aside, overreaction or not, her life isn't “ruined.” She lost a job. People lose jobs. Lot of deserving people don’t even have jobs. Or potable water.

To be clear, I’m engaged in these judgments because Ronson posits the issue as deserved vs undeserved. Ultimately, in these cases at least, they seems to me more like action and consequence. Walk into a homophobic biker club and call everyone a homosexual, you might get beat up, even though there’s nothing wrong with being gay.

Hey kids, the Internet is a public place. Act accordingly.

Which is not to say the digital mob is harmless. Donglegate, which is much more complex and nuanced (makes my head spin) earns a fairly short chapter, its complexities quickly abandoned in favor of figuring out how to repair one’s reputation.

“Because if I smashed anything, Team Jaiden would just get me into a behavior modification program, or maybe some doctor would put be on drugs for my ADD or bipolarism or depression or whatever they're calling being alive and feeling royally screwed these days.”
―
Stefan Petrucha,
Teen, Inc.

“It's toys, boy, all toys. You'll see more and more contraptions as you get older, but if I teach you anything, you'll learn that all of this is decoration. What counts is what's inside you and what you can see in others. ”
―
Stefan Petrucha,
Ripper

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